Building tile



Dec. 11 1923 1,477,258

W. J. GILBERT BUILDING TILE Filed Aug. 15. 1921 P atented Dec. ll, 1923;

NlTE S WILLIAM a. GILBERT, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

BUILDING Tran. p

Application filed August 15, 1921. Serial No. 492,416."

which the following is a full, clear, concise,-

and exact description, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, a part of this specification.

This invention relates to building tiles and more particularly to a hollow tile for use in the construction of weight sustaining walls for buildings. I

It is a purpose of the invention to provide a building tile of ceramic material that is so constructed that mortar can be be more readily applied to the faces thereof having openings therein and that is provided with openings so arranged as to key the mortar in the tiles.

It is a further purposeof the invention to provide a building tile of the above mentioned characterprovided-with a central, preferably circular, opening to provide an air cell therein, said central opening being surrounded by a series of mortar keying openings arranged thereabout.

It is moreover a purpose of the invention to provide a building tile of unusual strength by making the same of double arch formation with the bases of the arches facing each other.

t is another and further purpose of the invention to provide a building'tile so con structed that the density of the material thereof will be substantially uniform throughout. This is accomplished by pro viding the large central opening whereby the core forming said opening when the clay is forced through a die to form the tile is forced outwardly thus counteracting the tendency of the material to flow more readily in the center of the mass when in a plastic state. Similarly the webs on the outside of the tile are made thicker than inside for the same purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the accompanying drawing proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details showntherein or described in the specification but that I intend to include as part of my invention forming all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the. drawing is shown a perspective view of the hollow building tile.

The improved building tile shown in the drawing isv rectangular in form being pro' vided with top and bottom faces 1, side faces 2 and end faces 3, said facesl, 2 and 3 being in planes at right angles'to eachother. The building tile is made up of of web portions extending longitudinally thereof spaced so as to provide a series of openings. The web structure comprises straight side webs 4, curved Web portions 5 and short straight web portions 6 join ing said side webs with the curved webs; At the top and bottom of the tile are webs '7 joining the curved Webs to the side webs, said webs 7 and said webs-4 being of greater length than the web 6 and the curved web 5.

The tile is provided with a centralsubstantially circular opening 8 within the curved web portion extending from end to end of the tile. The opening 8 provides an air cell or air space which will extend throughout a layer of said tile as the openings 8 are aligned when the tiles are laid. The tile is also provided with openings 9 between the corners thereof and the central opening, said openings 9 being substantially rectangular in form except, for

the curved portions adjacent the curved web 5. Between adjacent openings 9 are provided the openings 10, which are narrower than the opening 9, and are substantially rectangular in form.

It will be seen from the drawings that the curved web and the portions'fi form a pair of arch-like members facing each other within the rectangular cell-like portion formed by the webs 7 and 4 to provide great strength for the tile due to such arch forma tion. The openings 9 and 10 are provided for receiving the mortar to key the mortar to the tile. tered or laid on the end faces of the tile between the central opening and the side faces 2, so that the same enters the openings 9 and 10 when .the opening 8 is left open to provide an air space. A very strong structure is obtained due to the keying of the mortar in the tile, which is practically impossible with the common tile, having Tn the tile, the mortar is butrectangular openings, all of'whioh form air spaces and are of enlarged" size compared with the openings 9 and 10.

In making tiles of plastic material, the

material is forced through a die of avshape to provide the desired shape of tile. Difiiculty has been experienced in obtaininga tile of uniform density of material where the same size webs are provided and the same size'openings are provided throughout thetile, as'the material tends to flow more rapidly through the center of the die than at the edges thereof. It will be evident that with the tile shown, the die will be provided with a circular central core 8 and this core would tend to force the material away from the center of the die, thus causing the flow of the material to be more uniform throughout the area of the die. By making the webs and 6 narrower than the webs 7 and 4 the flow of the material at the outside of the tile is also aided, thus producing a tile of substantially uniform density throughout. This is very important as a tile that is not of uniform density throughout is quite often ruined in the handling thereof in the process of making the same, due to the fact that breakage occurs where there is a variation in density.

Having thu described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A building tile of the character described comprising rectangular outer wall said side openings comprising larger corneropenings and smaller intermediate openings. 2. A building tile of the character de scribed comprising. rectangular outer wall portions,- and inner web portions connectedwith said outer wall portions, said webortions com risin arcuate web )ortions 0 b definin a lar e central 0 811111 and 3ar D b b) allcl Web portions connecting the side wall.

portions of said tile with saidarcuate web portions.

3. A building tile of the character described comprising rectangular outer wall portions, and inner web portions connected with said outer wall portions, said web portions comprising arcuate web portions defining a large central opening, and pairs of parallel web portions connecting the side wall portions of said tile with said arcuate web portions, said parallel web portions extending substantially parallel to the top and bottom outer wall portions.

In witness whereof,- I hereunto subscribe my name this fourth day of August, A. D.

WILLIAM J. GILBERT. 

